Tumbler



Aug 11, 1959 J. A. KILBANE, JR., ETAL 2,898,711

TUMBLER Filed Au 14, 1957 mmvrozas IA. KILBANE' JR.

SYDNEY H. PALMER United States Pat M TUMBLER James A. Kilbane, In,Hopkins, and Sydney H. Palmer,

. St. aul, Minn.

Application August 14, 1957, Serial No. 678,075

3 Claims. (Cl. 51-164) Our invention relates to an improvement in atumbler and more particularly to a tumbler which is portable in natureand used principally for small articles such as gem stones, small metalparts, etc.

It is an object of our invention to provide a tumbling device whichmounts tumbling containers in end to end opposed relationship and whichrotates the containers in an end over end movement on the longitudinalaxis of the containers moving in a vertical plane. It is a furtherobject to provide a tumbling device with which the containers for thearticles to be tumbled and the liquid and grit material fold in saidmaterial from the sides 2,898,71 1 Patented Aug. 11, 195? tudinally inthe bottom thereof is the semicircular groove 22 which receives thehorizontal support 14. Formed in the upper edge of the block 20 is thetransverse groove 23 in which is positioned the shaft hereinafterdescribed. The blocks 20 and 21 are secured to the horizontal supports14 and 17 respectively by the bolts 24.

We further provide the shaft 25 the ends 26 and 27 of which arerotatably positioned in the grooves 23 of the blocks 20 and 21. Theshaft ends 26 and 27 form trunnions on which the cans hereinafterdescribed rotate. Also provided are the substantially U-shaped mounts 28and 29. The mount 28 is composed of the leg portions 30 and 31 connectedby the cross member 32. The free ends of the leg portions 30 and 31 areconnected to the shaft 25. The mount 29 is composed of the leg portions32 and 33 connected bythe cross: bar 34 with the free ends of the legportions 32 and 33 connected to the the can 35 is formed with a groove39 extending across a and ends of the containers to give more elfectiveand faster tumbling.

' It is also anobject to provide a tumbler with which the containers aresimply but effectively mounted andthe speed of rotation of which may beeasily changed to accommodate different materials.

ltj-isstill a further object to provide a tumbling device having new andnovel means for mounting the opposed containers and new and novel meansfor releasing the containers from the mounting means. It is anadditional object to provide a tumbling machine having a new and novelcontainer construction.

We shall not here attempt to set forth and indicate all of the variousobjects and advantages incident to our invention, but other objects andadvantages will be referred to in or else will become apparent from thatwhich follows. I

The invention will appear more clearly from the following descriptionwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing by wayof example a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout.

In the drawings forming part of this application:

Figure l is a perspective view of our tumbler.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal side view of the tumbler.

Figure 3 is an end view thereof.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the tumblingcontainers and the supports therefor, a port on of one of the tumblersand support therefore being broken away.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the bearings on which thetumbler containers rotate.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the containers.

Referring to the drawings in detail our tumbler A includes the identicalside supports 10 and 11, with the support 10 composed of thesubstantially vertical leg portions 12 and 13 connected by thehorizontal support 14. The support 11 is composed of the substantiallyver tical leg portions 15 and 16 connected by the horizontal support 17.The supports 10 and 11 are braced laterally by means of the cross brace18 and the cross brace 19. Secured to the horizontal supports 14 and 17substantially centrally thereof are the bearing blocks 20 and 21respectively. The blocks 20 and 21 are identical, and for the presentpurposes only one need be described. The block 20 is substantiallyrectangular in form and running longidiameter thereof. The can 36 isalso cylindrical in shape with the bottom 40 and an open upper endformed with the peripheral head 41. The bottom 49 of the can 36 isformed with a groove 42 extending across a diameter thereof. Further,the cans 35 and 36 are coated on the inside with a plastic Water and oilresistant coating 43 and 44 respectively which extend out over thesuface of the peripheral beads formed on .the cans. 35 and 36. Wefurther provide the circular top cover members 45' and'46 for the cans35 and 36 respectively which are identical. The cover 45 is formed withan axially disposed small depression 47 which receives the end of theshort rod 48 threadedly mounted on the cross member 32 of the mount 28.The cover 45 is lined with a water and oil resistant plastic coating 49which extends to the extreme outer edge thereof.

The lining of the can 35 extends over the head 38 so that when the cover45 is placed on the top open end of the can 35 there is plastic toplastic contact which completely and effectively seals the can. The sameis true of the can 36. Before placing the cover 45 on the can 35 theitems to be tumbled are placed in the can together with a liquid andgrit material where necessary. The cover is then placed in position andthe can mounted within the mount 28 with the shaft support 25 positionedwithin the recess or groove 39. The end of the threaded rod 48 ispositioned in the depression 47 and the rod screwed down upon the cover45 by means of the knob 51 thereby making a positive water and air tightseal of the cover with the can while at the same time securely mountingthe can in operative position in the mount 28.

The can 36 is identical to the complete can 35 with the threadedlymounted rod 52 engaging a depression formed in the top 46 identical tothe depression 47 thereby maintaining the can 36 in place in the mount29 by means of the knob 53 in the same manner as with the can 35.

We further provide the large pulley 54 which is mounted on the end ofthe shaft 25 on which is mounted the drive belt 55. The belt 55 is alsomounted on the small drive pulley 56 which is secured to the outer endof the shaft 57 rotatably mounted in the bearing 58 mounted on the leg15 and the bearing 59 mounted on the leg 12. Mounted on the shaft 57 isthe pulley 60 which is driven by the belt 61 placed around the pulley 62mounted on the shaft 63 of the motor 64. The motor 64 is mounted on thestandards 64' secured to the plate support 65 which is pivotally mountedon the cross brace 19 whereby the Weight of the motor maintains constanttension on the belt 61. 1 r

When the motor is put in operation, the cans 35 and 36 are moved endover end about the axis of the shaft 25 by means of the mechanismheretofore set forth.- With gem stones, Water and the required grit, forexample, within the sealed cans for tumblingit will become apparent onanalysis that the mixture not only folds onto itself from one end of thecan to the other as the can is moved, but because of such action and thefact of the cylindrical walls of the can, the material also folds infrom the sides of the can upon itself. As a result more effective,complete and quicker tumbling is possible with our new and noveltumbler. construction.

Thelinvention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set,forth, since these may be modified Within the scope of the appendedclaims Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 1

Having thus described the invention, that which we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a tumbling device, a pair of containers each having a removabletop and a closed bottom, a shaft, a pair of U-shaped support memberseach having a cross member and a pair of spaced leg portions extendingtherefrom in opposite directions, the outer free ends of said legportions connected to said shaft, the bottom of each container having agroove formed completely thereacross and adapted to receive a portion ofsaid shaft, clamping means connected to said cross members adapted tobear against the tops of said containers and maintain said tops on saidcontainers and said containers on said shaft and 'within said U-shapedsupports and means for rotating said shaft to move said containers in acircular path end over end on their longitudinal axes about said shaft.

2. In a tumbling device, a shaft, a pair of U-shaped members connectedto and extending from said shaft in opposed relationship, a pair ofcylindrical containers, each having a diametrically disposed groove inthe bottom thereof in which said shaft is positioned to thereby positionone of said containers in each of said U-shaped members with said shaftacting as a common support for both containers, means on said U-shapedmembers for holding said containers in pressing engagement with saidshaft, and means for rotating said shaft to cause said containers tomove in a circular path end over end about said shaft.

3. In a tumbling device, a pair of spaced vertical support members, ashaft rotatably mounted on said support members, a pair of U-shapedsupport members each having a cross member and spaced leg membersextending therefrom, the ends of said leg members secured to said shaftto place said U-shaped support members in opposed relationship, a pairof cylindrical containers each formed with a rounded groove on thebottom thereof extending diametrically thereacross adapted to receivesaid shaft to position said containers thereon, respective screw meansmounted to said cross members of said U-shapedtsupport members adaptedto bear against said containers and hold the same in pressing engagementwith said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft to cause saidcontainers to move in a circular path end over end about said shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS153,954 Herndon Aug. 11, 1874 754,122 Bucklin Mar. 8, 1904-.

2,021,261 Moore Nov. 19, 1935 2,138,550 MacLellan Nov. 29, 1938 FOREIGNPATENTS 35,163 Denmark Oct. 19, 1925

